PWM powered Moiré Illusion - Corsair Titan Capswap (Cover is a GIF)

This is a corsair AIO cap with a Moiré Illusion. powered by the PWM meant for pc case fans, meaning you can control the speed just like a pc fan in your bios, your motherboard's software or with iCUE.

I made this for the Corsair Titan AIO cap design contest. I wanted to create something eye-catching and unique, using a Moiré illusion driven directly by PWM control from the motherboard. 

I remade the cap based on Corsair’s STL to make it easier to work with in CAD. it does snap on Corsair's Base so it should snap on the AIO too.

just as a heads up, the motor noise can be a bit annoying in my opinion but when you wear headphones or don't run it all the time it should be fine.

(running while connected to my pc's PWM on a stand)

Printing

• Material PETG for the cap for better heat resistance compared to PLA and elastic properties for snap joints. Gears can be PLA or PETG as long as the bevel gears are clear of blobs. 

Note: This cap design covers the AIO’s built-in LEDs, so the RGB won't be visible through standard filament. If you want to let the lighting shine through, try printing the gears and spirals in a clear or translucent filament to allow some RGB glow to bleed through the illusion.

• Layer Hight <0.2mm
• No support needed
• brim Gears may need some brims depending on your bed adhesion

Materials

• 1x 2x8 solder prototype board or any soldering board that is 20mm wide and at least 35mm long, the 2x8 board needs to be cut to fit in the cap.
• 1x 10 kΩ resistor
• 1x 100 Ω resistor
• 1x MOSFET (IRFZ44N)
• 1x Diode (1N5819)
• 22AWG wires (recommend, Solid core for inside the cap, stranded for outside the cap)
• 1x 4x1 Dupont female connector
• 1x 2x1 screw terminal header (recommended for connecting the motor to the PCB)
• 2x M2x4 screws (Optional incase the PCB isn't secure enough for you with snap joints)
• 1x N20 right-angle 68RPM 12V motor (speed can vary between stores get one above 50RPM but below 100RPM)
• 1x tie wrap

Tools

• wire stripper
• soldering iron
• Arduino with PWM + 12V power supply (Optional for testing. if you aren't comfortable with using PWM on your pc's motherboard straight away or at all)

Soldering

In order to use PWM a simple circuit like this will have to be soldered. if you have never done it its actually a great starting point. for more info on how to solder on a prototype board check out this link.

https://www.instructables.com/Using-Perfboard/

Black = GND

Red = 12V

Yellow = PWM signal

Green and Red => motor, via the screw terminal header.

Fold the MOSFET over so it doesn't stick out Furter than 9mm than the top of the circuit board.

keep about 1mm from edge the underside of board clear.

The circuit should have a current <0.05A under load, stable operation over 25+ minutes with no significant heat buildup. 

Testing

After its finished try it out with a Arduino board with some code like this.

void setup() {
  // Set pin 9 as an output
  pinMode(9, OUTPUT);
  
  // Write full speed PWM (153 = 60% duty cycle)
  analogWrite(9, 153);
}

void loop() {
}

Don't forget to wire the GND of the Arduino to the GND of the power supply.

If it all works you should still double check if everything is setup correctly, then connect it to your motherboard PWM after checking your motherboard manual on the orientation of your PWM connector. plugging it in upside down makes it not move but nothing should break because 12V should not make contact.

⚠ Note: This design works well in my setup, but always double-check your connections and setup. I can’t take responsibility for any damage caused by incorrect use or installation.

Assembly

Step 1

When putting in the gear and spiral 1, check if it all spins smoothly.

Step 2

Insert the spiral part like this, the back of the spiral has a spacer that keeps it from rubbing against the cap.

Step 3

Press the bevel gear all the way against the gearbox.

Step 4

Place the N20 in its place and secure it with the tie wrap . it should not have any wiggle also snip the excess away.

Step 5

Place the circuit board in at an angle first and then press it in place, if it feels too loose for you or if you prefer, you can add in the M2 screws.

Step 6

Add the last gear through the first one and secure it with the spiral on the other end, the connection isn't round to keep it from freely spinning so check the orientation before pushing it in place.

Feel free to remix and adapt this design. I’d love to see your variations and improvements

Credit 

N20 Model by Eric Lavoie

https://grabcad.com/library/n20-right-angle-gear-motor-42-to-1-ratio-1